743 Naval Air Squadron
Active1 March 1943 – 30 March 1945[1]
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
TypeFleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron
RoleTelegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron
SizeSquadron
Part ofFleet Air Arm
Garrison/HQR.N. Air Section Yarmouth
Insignia
Identification MarkingsSingle letters and letter/number combinations[2]
Aircraft flown
AttackFairey Swordfish
PatrolSupermarine Walrus
TrainerAvro Anson
Fairey Swordfish Mk II, of the variant used by 745 NAS

743 Naval Air Squadron (743 NAS) was a naval air squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was active from March 1943 to March 1945 as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron, part of No. 2 Telegraphist Air Gunner School based at R.N. Air Section Yarmouth, Canada.[3]

History of 743 NAS

Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron (1943 - 1945)

743 Naval Air Squadron formed at R.N. Air Section Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron, on the 1 March 1943. It was part of No.2 Telegraphist Air Gunner School,[3] within the Royal Navy No.1 Naval Air Gunnery School (NAGS), which was under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.[4] The squadron was equipped with Fairey Swordfish II, a biplane torpedo bomber, Supermarine Walrus II, an amphibious maritime patrol aircraft[3] and Avro Anson, a multi-role training aircraft.[5]

All training ceased on 19 March 1945 at R.N. Air Section Yarmouth and 743 Naval Air Squadron wound down. All of the squadrons aircraft were moved and delivered to R.N. Air Section Dartmouth (HMS Seaborn), Nova Scotia, Canada and this was completed on the 30 March 1945,[3] with 743 Naval Air Squadron disbanding at R.N. Air Section Yarmouth, on the same date.[6]

Aircraft flown

The squadron has flown a number of aircraft types:[3][2]

Naval Air Stations

743 Naval Air Squadron operated from a single naval air station of the Royal Navy, in Canada: [6]

Commanding Officers

List of Commanding Officers of 743 Naval Air Squadron with date, month and year of appointment:[2]

References

Citations

  1. ^ Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 65.
  2. ^ a b c Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 48.
  3. ^ a b c d e "RN Air Section Dartmouth". www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  4. ^ "A School of Swordfish". www.vintage wings.ca. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  5. ^ Thetford 1991, p. 402.
  6. ^ a b "743 Naval Air Squadron". www.wings-aviation.ch. Retrieved 3 January 2023.

Bibliography

  • Ballance, Theo; Howard, Lee; Sturtivant, Ray (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air Britain Historians Limited. ISBN 978-0-85130-489-2.
  • Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-223-8.
  • Thetford, Owen (1991). British Naval Aircraft since 1912. London, UK: Putnam Aeronautical Books, an imprint of Conway Maritime Press Ltd. ISBN 0-85177-849-6.
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